GRATEFUL DEAD - Beyond Description (1973-1989) (2004) 12 x CD, HDCD, Reissue, Remastered / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Beyond Description (1973-1989) is a companion set to 2001's 12-disc box The Golden Road (1965-1973), which collected all of the Grateful Dead's albums for Warner Bros, adding bonus tracks to each album, along with a double-disc collection of early pre-Warner recordings called "Birth of the Dead" for good measure. Beyond Description picks up the story after the Dead started their own label with 1973's Wake of the Flood and runs all the way to 1989, when they released their last studio album, Built to Last. Like The Golden Road, each album here is enhanced with bonus tracks, running the gamut from as little as three (on Built to Last) to has many as 16 (a full-length bonus disc added to 1980's live acoustic Reckoning), but there's nothing quite as enticing as "Birth of the Dead." Indeed, "enticing" is not a word that's frequently associated with the albums in this collection. Even among Deadheads, these records, with a couple of noteworthy exceptions, aren't highly regarded, and the additional studio outtakes, demos, and live tracks don't necessarily help matters either; after all, if the foundation is shaky, it's hard to add an expansion. That's true here. It's certainly nice to have this material excavated, particularly for legions of dedicated fans, but none of the bonus tracks are revelatory. None of them offer a new perspective on the album, nor are there any lost gems here (not even the version of "Good Lovin'" sung by producer/Little Feat leader Lowell George on Shakedown Street qualifies as a hidden treasure). Instead, the bonus material ranges from the merely pleasant (the bonus discs on the live Reckoning and Dead Set), to the somewhat interesting (an early take of "China Doll" on Wake of the Flood), to the forgettable (most of the studio outtakes), to the actively irritating (a long acoustic demo of "Weather Report Suite," tedious jams on Blues for Allah). It's material that fans will hear once and file away, next to their large collection of Dick's Picks discs. Conversely, the individual albums featured in Beyond Description do pack some surprises. Certain records live up to their reputations -- Wake of the Flood remains one of their strongest, moodiest affairs, From the Mars Hotel is an underrated record, In the Dark is an assured comeback -- but others sound both better and worse than they did in memory. In particular, Go to Heaven, while far from their best, sounds much better than its reputation suggests -- it may not be much of a Dead record, but it's warm and well-crafted, a good fusion of the Doobie Brothers and Little Feat. Built to Last, however, is an outright embarrassment, a rushed sequel to In the Dark constructed with overly slick synthesizers and cavernous drums that sounds even more dated than the disco cuts scattered throughout Terrapin Station and Shakedown Street (neither of which sound inspired, but are fascinating in their tentative attempts to streamline the Dead). Ultimately, it matters little whether the albums themselves are all that strong or weak -- this is a package for the diehard, the one who will buy the bad albums just to complete his collection. In that regard, Beyond Description is every bit the equal of The Golden Road -- the remastering is good, the packaging has been assembled with loving care, the liner notes are solid. It's all enough to make this a necessary library piece for truly dedicated Deadheads. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine  
Wake Of The Flood    
1-1    Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo    5:42
1-2    Let Me Sing Your Blues Away    3:15
1-3    Row Jimmy    7:11
1-4    Stella Blue    6:22
1-5    Here Comes Sunshine    4:37
1-6    Eyes Of The World    5:16
1-7    Weather Report Suite: Prelude/Part I/Part II (Let It Grow)    12:42
- Bonus Material -    
1-8    Eyes Of The World (Live)    17:02
1-9    Weather Report Suite (Studio Acoustic Demo): Prelude/Part I/Part II (Let It Grow)    12:36
1-10    China Doll (Studio Outtake)    4:02
Grateful Dead From The Mars Hotel    
2-1    U.S. Blues    4:37
2-2    China Doll    4:09
2-3    Unbroken Chain    6:45
2-4    Loose Lucy    3:23
2-5    Scarlet Begonias    4:19
2-6    Pride Of Cucamonga    4:16
2-7    Money Money    4:21
2-8    Ship Of Fools    5:22
- Bonus Material -    
2-9    Loose Lucy (Studio Outtake)    4:41
2-10    Scarlet Begonias (Live)    9:09
2-11    Money Money (Live)    4:20
2-12    Wave That Flag (Live)    5:34
2-13    Let It Rock (Live)    3:19
2-14    Pride Of Cucamonga (Studio Acoustic Demo)    4:24
2-15    Unbroken Chain (Studio Acoustic Demo)    6:21
Blues For Allah    
3-1    Help On The Way / Slipknot!    7:18
3-2    Franklin's Tower    4:32
3-3    King Solomon's Marbles Part I: Stronger Than Dirt / Part II: Milkin' The Turkey    3:25
3-4    The Music Never Stopped    4:35
3-5    Crazy Fingers    6:38
3-6    Sage & Spirit    3:04
3-7    Blues For Allah / Sand Castles & Glass Camels / Unusual Occurrences In The Desert    12:33
- Bonus Material -     
3-8    Groove #1 (Instrumental Studio Outtake)    5:42
3-9    Groove #2 (Instrumental Studio Outtake)    7:32
3-10    Distorto (Instrumental Studio Outtake)    8:10
3-11    A To E Flat Jam (Instrumental Studio Outtake)    4:35
3-12    Proto 18 Proper (Instrumental Studio Outtake)    4:16
3-13    Hollywood Cantata (Instrumental Studio Outtake)    4:14

Terrapin Station    
4-1    Estimated Prophet    5:35
4-2    Dancin' In The Streets    3:30
4-3    Passenger    2:48
4-4    Samson & Delilah    3:30
4-5    Sunrise    4:05
4-6    Terrapin Station Part 1: Lady With A Fan / Terrapin Station / Terrapin / Terrapin Transit / At A Siding / Terrapin Flyer / Refrain    16:10
- Bonus Material -     
4-7    Peggy-O (Instrumental Studio Outtake)    4:42
4-8    The Ascent (Instrumental Studio Outtake)    1:58
4-9    Catfish John (Studio Outtake)    4:40
4-10    Equinox (Studio Outtake)    5:14
4-11    Fire On The Mountain (Studio Outtake)    6:25
4-12    Dancin' In The Streets (Live)    16:17
Shakedown Street    
5-1    Good Lovin'    4:51
5-2    France    4:03
5-3    Shakedown Street    4:59
5-4    Serengetti    1:59
5-5    Fire On The Mountain    3:46
5-6    I Need A Miracle    3:36
5-7    From The Heart Of Me    3:23
5-8    Stagger Lee    3:25
5-9    All New Minglewood Blues    4:12
5-10    If I Had The World To Give    4:50
- Bonus Material -    
5-11    Good Lovin' (Studio Outtake) 4:54
Featuring – Lowell George
5-12    Ollin Arageed (Live)    6:30
5-13    Fire On The Mountain (Live)    13:41
5-14    Stagger Lee (Live)    6:36
5-15    All New Minglewood Blues (Live)    4:34
Go To Heaven    
6-1    Alabama Getaway    3:37
6-2    Far From Me    3:39
6-3    Althea    6:52
6-4    Feel Like A Stranger    5:06
6-5    Lost Sailor    5:54
6-6    Saint Of Circumstance    5:40
6-7    Antwerp's Placebo (The Plumber)    0:39
6-8    Easy To Love You    3:39
6-9    Don't Ease Me In    3:13
- Bonus Material -    
6-10    Peggy-O (Studio Outtake)    5:49
6-11    What'll You Raise (Studio Outtake)    4:08
6-12    Jack-A-Roe (Studio Outtake)    4:51
6-13    Althea (Live)    8:17
6-14    Lost Sailor (Live)    6:42
6-15    Saint Of Circumstance (Live)    6:35
 
Reckoning    
7-1    Dire Wolf    3:20
7-2    The Race Is On    3:00
7-3    Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie    6:28
7-4    It Must Have Been The Roses    6:59
7-5    Dark Hollow    3:51
7-6    China Doll    5:21
7-7    Been All Round This World    4:14
7-8    Monkey And The Engineer    2:55
7-9    Jack-A-Roe    4:14
7-10    Deep Elem Blues    4:54
7-11    Cassidy    4:34
7-12    To Lay Me Down    9:03
7-13    Rosalie McFall    2:54
7-14    On The Road Again    3:13
7-15    Bird Song    7:37
7-16    Ripple    4:27
- Bonus Material -     
8-1    To Lay Me Down (Studio Rehearsal)    9:12
8-2    Iko Iko    4:23
8-3    Heaven Help The Fool    6:18
8-4    El Paso    4:41
8-5    Sage & Spirit    3:14
8-6    Little Sadie    2:45
8-7    It Must Have Been The Roses (Alternate Live Version)    7:01
8-8    Dark Hollow (Alternate Live Version)    4:30
8-9    Jack-A-Roe (Alternate Live Version)    5:08
8-10    Cassidy (Alternate Live Version)    5:06
8-11    China Doll (Alternate Live Version)    5:52
8-12    Monkey And The Engineer (Alternate Live Version)    2:37
8-13    Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie (Alternate Live Version)    7:13
8-14    Ripple (Alternate Live Version)    4:37
8-15    Tom Dooley    3:33
8-16    Deep Elem Blues (Alternate Live Version)    3:42
Dead Set    
9-1    Samson And Delilah    5:06
9-2    Friend Of The Devil    7:31
9-3    New Minglewood Blues    4:44
9-4    Deal    4:34
9-5    Candyman    7:20
9-6    Little Red Rooster    4:33
9-7    Loser    5:55
9-8    Passenger    3:23
9-9    Feel Like A Stranger    5:44
9-10    Franklin's Tower    5:25
9-11    Rhythm Devils    4:02
9-12    Space    2:29
9-13    Fire On The Mountain    6:48
9-14    Greatest Story Ever Told    4:05
9-15    Brokedown Palace    5:47
- Bonus Material -     
10-1    Let It Grow    9:38
10-2    Sugaree    9:51
10-3    C.C. Rider    7:17
10-4    Row Jimmy    10:14
10-5    Lazy Lightnin'    3:25
10-6    Supplication    5:50
10-7    High Time    8:40
10-8    Jack Straw    6:17
10-9    Shakedown Street    10:42
10-10    Not Fade Away    4:50
   
In The Dark    
11-1    Touch Of Grey    5:47
11-2    Hell In A Bucket    5:35
11-3    When Push Comes To Shove    4:05
11-4    West L.A. Fadeaway    6:39
11-5    Tons Of Steel    5:15
11-6    Throwing Stones    7:18
11-7    Black Muddy River    5:58
- Bonus Material -    
11-8    My Brother Esau (Single B-Side)    4:17
11-9    West L.A. Fadeaway (Alternate Version, 1984)    7:08
11-10    Black Muddy River (Studio Rehearsal)    5:38
11-11    When Push Comes To Shove (Studio Rehearsal)    4:21
11-12    Touch Of Grey (Studio Rehearsal)    5:44
11-13    Throwing Stones (Live)    9:36
 
Built To Last    
12-1    Foolish Heart    5:10
12-2    Just A Little Light    4:42
12-3    Built To Last    5:03
12-4    Blow Away    6:09
12-5    Victim Or The Crime    7:33
12-6    We Can Run    5:30
12-7    Standing On The Moon    5:20
12-8    Picasso Moon    6:40
12-9    I Will Take You Home    3:45
- Bonus Material -     
12-10    Foolish Heart (Live)    11:31
12-11    Blow Away (Live)    12:02
12-12    California Earthquake (Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On) (Live)    5:59

GRATEFUL DEAD - Fare Thee Well, Celebrating 50 Years Of The Grateful Dead (2015) 3CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When it was announced in early 2015 that the Grateful Dead's 50th anniversary celebration would include a handful of reunion gigs -- their first live appearances since the 1995 death of founder Jerry Garcia -- the news was met with a cautious optimism. In the two decades since officially disbanding, numerous iterations have toured the band's catalog (the Dead, the Other Ones, etc.) featuring surviving members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart, collectively considered the "core four." Until 2015, though, the Grateful Dead brand had not been revived and, for some fans, the thought of playing a proper Dead show without Garcia still seemed sacrilegious. But time has a way of softening old wounds, and when they revealed that Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio would take on Jerry's lead guitar role, the community rallied, selling out the Fare Thee Well shows in minutes. Along with the core four and Anastasio, the Dead of 2015 included pianist Bruce Hornsby, a former staple of their early-'90s lineup, and organist Jeff Chimenti, known for his work in Bob Weir's group RatDog. Following a pair of inaugural gigs in Santa Clara, the celebration moved to Chicago's Soldier Field -- site of their final show in 1995 -- culminating in what was intended to be the last ever Grateful Dead performance on July 5th. By this point, any skepticism regarding Anastasio's ability had vanished and the proliferation of fan-made "Let Trey Sing" T-shirts resulted in Weir wryly donning one during the encore. Launching into the classic combo of "China Cat Sunflower" and "I Know You Rider," an immediate spike of energy jolts through the jubilant assemblage. Trey does indeed get to sing, ably taking the lead on "China Cat," "Althea," and later on "Touch of Grey," the first of their two encores. Hornsby also gets his due as a vocalist, poignantly taking on the late-era Garcia track "Built to Last." Weir brings the funk as only he can on a spirited "Estimated Prophet" with Anastasio nimbly revisiting Garcia's trademark envelope filter effect. Throughout the evening, the collaborative exploratory spirit that has long been the band's creed leads to inspired peaks and wobbly stumbles in a way comfortingly familiar to fans. Phil Lesh's gentle handling of 1969 rarity "Mountains of the Moon" is a pleasant surprise and, while occasionally shaky, he and Weir lead fan favorite "Terrapin Station" into moments of sublime beauty. A slowly chugging "Truckin'" heads into "Cassidy," another Weir classic. A final "Drums/Space" interlude from Rhythm Devils Hart and Kreutzmann sets up the endgame as the crowd becomes fully audible, singing the Dead off-stage one last time on the quintessential closer, "Not Fade Away." Already bittersweet, the night ends on a hushed note as Weir leads the group through a harmonically ragged but stirring acoustic rendition of the rarely played "Attics of My Life." More than a victory lap, these sets capture a genuine moment in time, something the band strove for since the very beginning. by Timothy Monger
Tracklist 1 :
1    China Cat Sunflower 7:43
Written-By – Garcia*, Hunter
2    I Know You Rider 7:36
Traditiomal
Arranged By – Grateful Dead
3    Estimated Prophet 15:32
Written-By – Weir, Barlow
4    Built To Last 6:12
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
5    Samson And Delilah 8:14
Traditiomal
Arranged By – Bob Weir
6    Mountains Of The Moon 13:48
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
7    Throwing Stones 12:39
Written-By – Weir, Barlow
Tracklist 2 :
1    Truckin' 14:00
Written-By – Weir, Garcia, Lesh, Hunter
2    Cassidy 13:39
Written-By – Weir, Barlow
3    Althea 8:06
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
4    Terrapin Station 14:45
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
5    Drums 16:04
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Hart
Tracklist 3 :
1    Space 6:22
Written-By – Weir, Garcia, Lesh
2    Unbroken Chain 12:03
Written-By – Lesh, Petersen
3    Days Between 14:00
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
4    Not Fade Away 13:51
Written-By – Hardin, Petty
5    Touch Of Grey 8:37
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
6    Attics Of My Life 6:41
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter

GRATEFUL DEAD - Formerly The Warlocks (2010) 6CD Box Set / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist 1 :
October 8, 1989    
1    Foolish Heart 8:00
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
2    Walkin' Blues 7:41
Arranged By – Bob Weir
Written-By – Johnson
3    Candyman 7:29
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
4    Me And My Uncle 3:11
Written-By – Phillips
5    Big River 6:47
Written-By – Cash
6    Stagger Lee 5:58
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
7    Queen Jane Approximately 6:53
Written-By – Dylan
8    Bird Song 13:24
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
9    Promised Land 4:57
Written-By – Berry
Tracklist 2 :
1    Help On The Way 4:44
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
2    Slipknot! 4:44
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Weir, Garcia, K. Godchaux, Hart, Lesh
3    Franklin's Tower 8:26
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Garcia, Hunter
4    Victim Or The Crime 8:30
Written-By – Weir, Graham
5    Eyes Of The World 9:08
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
6    Rhythm Devils 10:44
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Hart
Tracklist 3 :
1    Space 8:44
Written-By – Weir, Garcia, Lesh
2    I Need A Miracle 5:01
Written-By – Weir, Barlow
3    The Wheel 4:13
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
4    Gimme Some Lovin' 4:31
Written-By – Winwood, Davis, Winwood
5    Morning Dew 12:24
Written-By – Dobson, Rose
6    We Bid You Goodnight 3:55
Arranged By – Grateful Dead
Traditional
Tracklist 4 :
October 9, 1989    
1    Feel Like A Stranger 8:16
Written-By – Weir, Barlow
2    Built To Last 5:03
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
3    Little Red Rooster 9:09
Written-By – Dixon
4    Ramble On Rose 7:53
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
5    We Can Run 6:31
Written-By – Mydland, Barlow
6    Jack-A-Roe 4:37
Arranged By – Grateful Dead
Traditional
7    Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again 10:10
Written-By – Dylan
8    Row Jimmy 11:08
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
9    The Music Never Stopped 8:15
Written-By – Weir, Barlow
Tracklist 5 :
1    Playing In The Band 11:23
Written-By – Weir, Hart, Hunter
2    Uncle John's Band 11:58
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
3    Playing In The Band 2:20
Written-By – Weir, Hart, Hunter
4    Dark Star 19:22
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Weir, Garcia, Hart, Lesh, Hunter, McKernan
5    Rhythm Devils 9:55
Written-By – Kreutzmann, Hart
Tracklist 6 :
1    Space 7:26
Written-By – Weir, Garcia, Lesh
2    Death Don't Have No Mercy 8:47
Written-By – Davis
3    Dear Mr. Fantasy 5:14
Written-By – Wood, Capaldi, Winwood
4    Hey Jude 3:12
Written-By – Lennon/McCartney
5    Throwing Stones 10:17
Written-By – Weir, Barlow
6    Good Lovin' 9:21
Written-By – Resnick, Clark
7    Attics Of My Life 6:32
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter

Credits :
Jerry Garcia - vocals, lead guitar
Bob Weir - vocals, rhythm guitar
Phil Lesh - bass, vocals
Brent Mydland - vocals, keyboards
Mickey Hart - drums, percussion
Bill Kreutzmann - drums, percussion

GRATEFUL DEAD - Ramble on Rose (10 Select Cuts From The Dead's 70s Prime) (2015) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Included free with their September 2015 issue, British rock magazine Uncut offers this ten-song meditation on what the Grateful Dead might have included on a supposed successor to their landmark studio album American Beauty. A number of new songs were introduced into the Dead's live canon in the years following American Beauty's November 1970 release, yet they wouldn't produce a proper studio follow-up until 1973's Wake of the Flood, by which time much had changed for the band. The death of founding keyboardist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan and the subsequent addition of keyboardist Keith Godchaux and his wife, vocalist Donna Godchaux, had altered their sound significantly, as did the absence of percussionist Mickey Hart. Over the years, there has been plenty of speculation about a supposed "lost album" that would have completed a trilogy that began with Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. Uncut's take on this fabled follow-up is titled Ramble on Rose and its contents are taken from concert highlights of the band's legendary 1971-1973 era. Several of these songs, like Bob Weir's "Black-Throated Wind" and Jerry Garcia's "Loser," appeared in studio form on their respective 1972 solo albums and Uncut's omission of beloved non-album favorites of that era like "Tennessee Jed," "Bertha," and "Jack Straw" make for a somewhat puzzling playlist. Still, with a catalog and history like the Dead's, everything is up for debate and this is all merely the supposition of a rock magazine four decades after the fact. Even if Ramble on Rose doesn't quite have enough weight to complete what would have been one hell of a trilogy, it's still an entertaining venture full of great songs and performances. by Timothy Monger  
Tracklist :
1     Mr. Charlie 3:32
Robert Hunter
2     Brown-Eyed Women 3:46
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     Looks Like Rain 7:08
Bob Weir
4     He's Gone 8:10
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Loser 6:38
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     Comes a Time 6:37
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
7     Ramble on Rose 6:13
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
8     Chinatown Shuffle 2:54
McKernan
9     Black-Throated Wind 6:29
Bob Weir
10     To Lay Me Down 5:40
Jerry Garcia

GRATEFUL DEAD - Winterland 1973 (The Complete Recordings) 9CD (2008) WV (image+.cue), lossless

This nine-disc box set gathers music from a trio of consecutive Grateful Dead gigs -- November 9 -- 11, 1973 at their hometown hockey rink Winterland Arena. At the time the band consisted of Jerry Garcia (lead guitar/vocals), Donna Jean Godchaux (vocals), Keith Godchaux (keyboards), Bill Kreutzmann (drums), Phil Lesh (electric bass/vocals), and Bob Weir (rhythm guitar/vocals). In 1973, they atypically played a mere handful of gigs in San Francisco. According to Dennis McNally's liner notes, the run represented within could be considered over half of their Bay Area appearances for the year. That shouldn't suggest that the combo weren't keeping a full calendar, as they played about every five days or so for a total of 72 live shows. As the overwhelming bounty of strong performances on 2008's Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings substantiates, the combo were operating on all cylinders and -- when applicable -- at full velocity. Hearing the natural ebb and flow inherent in the concerts themselves reveals the Grateful Dead's singular ability to effortlessly vacillate between a multitude of styles. Among them are straight-ahead vintage rock & roll -- namely Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" and "Around and Around" -- to covering country & western troubadours Johnny Cash ("Big River,") Marty Robbins ("El Paso"), and George Jones ("The Race Is On"). An amalgam of these artists would heavily influence the writing of Weir and John Barlow as the originals and Grateful Dead songbook staples "Mexicali Blues" and, to a more refined degree, the tales-from-the-road sensibility of "Black-Throated Wind" and "Looks Like Rain." Another facet of the hydra-headed Grateful Dead reaches back into their formidable psychedelic past, while Garcia, Keith Godchaux, and Kreutzmann are simultaneously aggressive in their pursuit of a jazzier grade of instrumental improvisation. Nowhere is this as evident as during the multiple stretched-out epic and exploratory readings of "Playing in the Band," "Eyes of the World," and "Weather Report Suite." Likewise, each night brought a host of undeniably special musical moments.

Friday (November 9) contains a seminal "fast" "They Love Each Other" with a few lyrical rearrangements by Garcia, the return of the far-too-infrequently played ballad "To Lay Me Down," and the tight segue between the fiery "Greatest Story Ever Told" and "Bertha." Saturday the 10th is marked by a simple and lovely "Brokedown Palace," and the not-to-be-missed medley linking a spacy "Playing in the Band" to "Uncle John's Band" to a note-perfect "(Walk Me out in The) Morning Dew" that briefly revisits "Uncle John's Band" before returning, bookending the whole affair with a reprise of "Playing in the Band." Plus, the stand-alone "Stella Blue" is well worth mentioning for inclined minds. Seasoned listeners might find that the elements seem to align perfectly throughout the Sunday night outing. The centerpiece is a half-hour-plus "Dark Star" that weaves in and out of the melody before connecting to an incisive "Eyes of the World" and concludes nearly an hour later with a poignant "China Doll." The slinky and appropriately ribald rhythm pulsating through "Loose Lucy," and arguably the best "Weather Report Suite" (of the three found in the this box), are other highlights from the 11th. In terms of fidelity, the project incorporates the Plangent Process, which has unquestionably produced the finest sounding two-track project to have come from the always quality-conscious Jeffrey Norman during his tenure as the Grateful Dead's sonic restorationist. Norman also says that the only song to be M.I.A. is an "encore that wasn't recorded on the 9th." Parties who pre-ordered Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings online were also supplied several premiums: a postcard reproduction of a Grateful Dead mass-mailing from the early '70s and a "Good Ol' Grateful Dead" pin (read: badge) are but a few of the goodies. The icing on the cake is the nine-song "bonus disc" of excerpts from a few weeks later on December 4, 1973 at the Cincinnati Gardens, more information about which can be found on the 2008 bonus edition of Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings. by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist 1 :    
1     Promised Land 3:21
Chuck Berry
2     Brown-Eyed Woman 5:07
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     Me & Bobby McGee 5:59
Kris Kristofferson
4     They Love Each Other 5:42
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Black-Throated Wind 7:07
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
6     Don't Ease Me In 4:37
Traditional
7     Mexicali Blues 3:43
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
8     Row Jimmy 9:02
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
9     The Race Is On 3:57
10     China Cat Sunflower 7:35
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
11     I Know You Rider 5:27
Traditional
Tracklist 2 :
1     Playing in the Band 20:55
Mickey Hart / Robert Hunter / Bob Weir
2     Here Comes Sunshine 11:51
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     Me and My Uncle 3:43
4     To Lay Me Down 8:11
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Big River 5:28
Johnny Cash
6     Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo 8:02
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
7     Greates Story Ever Told 5:09
Mickey Hart / Robert Hunter / Bob Weir
8     Bertha 6:12
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
Tracklist 3 :
1     Weather Report Suite: Prelude/Part I/Part II (Let It Grow) 15:37
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
2     Eyes of the World 16:43
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     China Doll 5:57
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
4     Around and Around 5:04
Chuck Berry
5     Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad 8:01
Traditional
6     Johnny B. Goode 4:24
Chuck Berry
Tracklist 4 :    
1     Bertha 7:10
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
2     Jack Straw 5:14
Robert Hunter / Bob Weir
3     Loser 6:40
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
4     Looks Like Rain 7:50
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
5     Deal 4:39
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     Mexicali Blues 3:41
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
7     Tennessee Jed 8:39
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
8     El Paso 4:54
Marty Robbins
9     Brokedown Palace 6:12
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
10     Beat It on Down the Line 3:51
11     Row Jimmy 8:51
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
Tracklist 5 :
1     Weather Report Suite: Prelude/Part I/Part II (Let It Grow) 18:25
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
2     Playin in the Band 11:58
Mickey Hart / Robert Hunter / Bob Weir
3     Uncle John's Band 9:38
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
4     Morning Dew 12:23
5     Uncle John's Band 1:49
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     Playing in the Band 7:37
Mickey Hart / Robert Hunter / Bob Weir
Tracklist 6 :    
1     Big River 5:11
Johnny Cash
2     Stella Blue 8:18
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     Truckin' 12:17
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter / Phil Lesh / Bob Weir
4     Wharf Rat 8:43
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Sugar Magnolia 10:38
Robert Hunter / Bob Weir
6     One More Saturday Night 5:28
Bob Weir
7     Casey Jones 7:05
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
Tracklist 7 :
1     Promised Land 3:42
Chuck Berry
2     Bertha 6:04
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     Greatest Story Ever Told 6:06
Mickey Hart / Robert Hunter / Bob Weir
4     Sugaree 7:55
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Black-Throated Wind 7:47
Robert Hunter / Bob Weir
6     To Lay Me Down 8:27
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
7     El Paso 4:45
Marty Robbins
8     Ramble on Rose 7:03
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
9     Me & Bobby McGee 5:55
Kris Kristofferson
Tracklist 8 :
1     China Cat Sunflower 9:26
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
2     I Know You Rider 6:03
Traditional
3     Me and My Uncle 3:33
4     Loose Lucy 7:51
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Weather Report Suite: Prelude/Part I/Part II (Let It Grow) 15:10
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
6     Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo 8:25
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
7     Big River 7:05
Johnny Cash
Tracklist 9 :
1     Dark Star 35:40
Jerry Garcia / Mickey Hart / Robert Hunter / Bill Kreutzmann / Phil Lesh / Ron "Pigpen" McKernan / Bob Weir
2     Eyes of the World 13:35
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     China Doll 5:40
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
4     Sugar Magnolia 10:19
Robert Hunter / Bob Weir
5     Uncle John's Band 7:32
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     Johnny B. Goode 3:55
Chuck Berry
7     We Bid You Goodnight 3:10
Traditional

GRATEFUL DEAD - Live/Dead (1969-2003) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Grateful Dead's fourth title was likewise their first extended concert recording. Spread over two LPs, Live/Dead (1969) finally was able to relay the intrinsic sonic magnificence of a Dead show in real time. Additionally, it unleashed several key entries into their repertoire, including the sidelong epic and Deadhead anthem"Dark Star" as well as wailing and otherwise electrified acidic covers of the Rev. Gary Davis blues standard "Death Don't Have No Mercy" and the R&B rave-up "(Turn on Your) Lovelight." Finally, the conundrum of how to bring a lengthy performance experience to the listener has been solved. The album's four sides provided the palette from which to replicate the natural ebb and flow of a typical Dead set circa early 1969. Tomes have been written about the profound impact of "Dark Star" on the Dead and their audience. It also became a cultural touchstone signifying that rock music was becoming increasingly experimental by casting aside the once-accepted demands of the short, self-contained pop song. This version was recorded on February 27, 1969, at the Fillmore West and is presented pretty much the way it went down at the show. The same is true of the seven remaining titles on Live/Dead. The rousing rendition of "St. Stephen" reinvents the Aoxomoxoa (1968) prototype with rip-roaring thunder and an extended ending which slams into an instrumental rhythmic excursion titled "The Eleven" after the jam's tricky time signature. The second LP began with a marathon cover of "(Turn on Your) Lovelight," which had significant success for both Bobby "Blue" Bland and Gene Chandler earlier in the decade. With Ron "Pigpen" McKernan at the throttle, the Dead barrel their way through the work, reproportioning and appointing it with fiery solos from Garcia and lead vocal raps courtesy of McKernan. "Death Don't Have No Mercy" is a languid noir interpretation of Rev. Gary Davis' distinct Piedmont blues. Garcia's fretwork smolders as his solos sear through the melody. Likewise notable is the criminally underrated keyboard work of Tom Constanten, whose airy counterpoint rises like a departing spirit from within the soul of the song. The final pairing of "Feedback" -- which is what is sounds like it might be -- with the "lowering down" funeral dirge "And We Bid You Goodnight" is true to the way that the band concluded a majority of their performances circa 1968-1969. They all join in on an a cappella derivative of Joseph Spence and the Pinder Family's traditional Bahamian distillation. Few recordings have ever represented the essence of an artist in performance as faithfully as Live/Dead. It has become an aural snapshot of this zenith in the Grateful Dead's 30-year evolution and as such is highly recommended for all manner of enthusiasts. The 2001 remastered edition that was included in the Golden Road (1965-1973) (2001) box set tacks on the 45 rpm studio version of "Dark Star" as well as a vintage radio advert for the album. by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1    Dark Star 23:19
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter, Ron McKernan
2    St. Stephen 6:32
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
3    The Eleven 9:19
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
4    Turn On Your Love Light 15:05
Written-By – Deadric Malone, Joseph Scott
5    Death Don't Have No Mercy 10:28
Vocals, Congas, Organ – Pigpen
Written-By – Gary Davis
6    Feedback 7:49
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan, Tom Constanten
7    And We Bid You Goodnight 3:13
Arranged By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan, Tom Constanten
8    Untitled [Hidden Track]    2:45
9    Untitled [Hidden Track]    1:01
Credits :
Bass, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia
Keyboards – Tom Constanten
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By [Tunes] – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
Percussion – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart

GRATEFUL DEAD - Anthem of the Sun (1968-2003) RM / HDCD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As the second long-player by the Grateful Dead, Anthem of the Sun (1968) pushed the limits of both the music as well as the medium. General dissatisfaction with their self-titled debut necessitated the search for a methodology to seamlessly juxtapose the more inspired segments of their live performances with the necessary conventions of a single LP. Since issuing their first album, the Dead welcomed lyricist Robert Hunter into the fold -- freeing the performing members to focus on the execution and taking the music to the next level. Another addition was second percussionist Mickey Hart, whose methodical timekeeping would become a staple in the Dead's ability to stop on the proverbial rhythmic dime. Likewise, Tom Constanten (keyboards) added an avant-garde twist to the proceedings with various sonic enhancements that were more akin to John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen than anything else coming from the burgeoning Bay Area music scene. Their extended family also began to incorporate folks like Dan Healy -- whose non-musical contributions and innovations ranged from concert PA amplification to meeting the technical challenges that the band presented off the road as well. On this record Healy's involvement cannot be overstated, as the band were essentially given carte blanche and simultaneous on-the-job training with regards to the ins and outs of the still unfamiliar recording process. The idea to create an aural pastiche from numerous sources -- often running simultaneously -- was a radical concept that allowed consumers worldwide to experience a simulated Dead performance firsthand. One significant pattern which began developing saw the band continuing to refine the same material that they were concurrently playing live night after night prior to entering the studio. The extended "That's It for the Other One" suite is nothing short of a psychedelic roller coaster. The wild ride weaves what begins as a typical song into several divergent performances -- taken from tapes of live shows -- ultimately returning to the home base upon occasion, presumably as a built-in reality check. Lyrically, Bob Weir (guitar/vocals) includes references to their 1967 pot bust ("...the heat came 'round and busted me for smiling on a cloudy day") as well as the band's spiritual figurehead Neal Cassidy ("...there was Cowboy Neal at the wheel on a bus to never ever land"). Although this version smokes from tip to smouldering tail, the piece truly developed a persona all its own and became a rip-roaring monster in concert. The tracks "New Potato Caboose" and Weir's admittedly autobiographically titled "Born Cross-Eyed" are fascinatingly intricate side trips that had developed organically during the extended work's on-stage performance life. "Alligator" is a no-nonsense Ron "Pigpen" McKernan workout that motors the second extended sonic collage on Anthem of the Sun. His straight-ahead driving blues ethos careens headlong into the Dead's innate improvisational psychedelia. The results are uniformly brilliant as the band thrash and churn behind his rock-solid lead vocals. Musically, the Dead's instrumental excursions wind in and out of the primary theme, ultimately ending up in the equally frenetic "Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)." Although the uninitiated might find the album unnervingly difficult to follow, it obliterated the pretension of the post-Sgt. Pepper's "concept album" while reinventing the musical parameters of the 12" LP medium. [The expanded and remastered edition included in the Golden Road (1965-1973) (2001) box set contains a live performance from August 23, 1968, at the Shrine in Los Angeles. This miniset features an incendiary medley of "Alligator" and "Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)" concluding with over four minutes of electronic feedback.] by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1     That's It for the Other One 7:46
Grateful Dead
2     New Potato Caboose 8:18
Phil Lesh / Robert Peterson
3     Born Cross-Eyed 2:04
Bob Weir
4     Alligator 15:17
Robert Hunter / Phil Lesh / Ron "Pigpen" McKernan
5     Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks) 5:32
Jerry Garcia / Bill Kreutzmann / Phil Lesh / Ron "Pigpen" McKernan / Bob Weir
- Bonus Material -    
6    Alligator (Live) 18:43
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan
7    Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) (Live) 11:38
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan
8    Feedback (Live) 4:01
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan, Tom Constanten
Credits :
Arranged By – Grateful Dead
Bass, Trumpet, Harpsichord, Guiro, Kazoo, Piano, Timpani, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Drums, Bells [Orchestra], Gong, Chimes, Crotales, Piano [Prepared Piano], Finger Cymbals – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Kazoo, Vibraslap, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Organ, Celesta, Claves, Harmonica, Vocals – Ron McKernan
Piano, Piano [Prepared Piano], Tape [Electronic] – Tom Constanten
Rhythm Guitar, Twelve-String Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Kazoo, Vocals – Bob Weir

GRATEFUL DEAD - Aoxomoxoa (1969-2003) RM / HDCD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Nearly synonymous with the term "psychedelic," the Grateful Dead reached their true peak of psychedelia on their third album, 1969's Aoxomoxoa. The band had already begun work on an initial recording of the album when they gained access to the new technology of 16-track recording, doubling the number of individual tracks they'd used on their last album. Fueled by acid and keeping pace with the quickly changing hippie subculture of the late '60s, the band went wild with this newfound sonic freedom. The exploratory jamming and rough-edged blues-rock of their live shows were ornamented with overdubbed choirs, electronic sound effects, and layers of processed vocal harmonies. Rudimentary experimental production took the band's already-trippy approach and amplified it with generously applied effects and jarring edits. In their most straightforward songs, Aoxomoxoa's ambitious production isn't as noticeable. Gelatinous rockers like "Cosmic Charlie" and "St. Stephen" showcase Jerry Garcia's spindly guitar leads and the band's dusty vocal harmonies clearly before detouring into wild studio experiments. Though the studio mix of "China Cat Sunflower" sounds like the different instruments are floating in space, trying to connect from distant individual planets, the core of the song still comes through, and this number would become a live favorite for the rest of the band's lengthy run.
This was the first album where the band brought on lyricist Robert Hunter, who would go on to pen some of the band's best-loved lyrics. The early glimpses of the Hunter/Garcia partnership that come through on the bluegrass-inflected "Dupree's Diamond Blues" or the mellow ballad "Rosemary" foreshadowed the complete shift to gentle Americana the band would make on their next studio outing, 1970's masterful Workingman's Dead. The overly experimental production could sometimes obscure the musical ideas, as distorted vocals clashed with acoustic instruments or multiple drum tracks ping-ponged across the stereo field. The eight-minute epic "What's Become of the Baby" was the most glaring example of the album's ungrounded production aesthetic, reaching an almost musique concrète level of weirdness with random electronic sounds and choppy effects swarming on Garcia's isolated vocal tracks.
Aoxomoxoa was so out there that the band themselves had second thoughts, returning in 1971 to remix the album in full. The new mix dialed back some of the wilder moments and added clarity, but these eight songs would remain the most adventurous, confusing, and over-the-top productions the band would record. Aoxomoxoa is a prime example of the Grateful Dead's difficult relationship with the recording studio, which would take different forms throughout their long, strange trip. Even leaning wholeheartedly into all the available bells and whistles, the band couldn't quite capture with Aoxomoxoa the depths of cosmic wonder they tapped into organically every time they took the stage. Not without its excellent moments, the album is more a document of late-'60s studio experimentation than a huge step in any sustained path for the band. by Fred Thomas  
Tracklist :
1     St. Stephen 4:25
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter / Phil Lesh
2     Dupree's Diamond Blues 3:40
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
3     Rosemary 2:02
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
4     Doin' That Rag 5:15
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Mountains of the Moon 4:15
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     China Cat Sunflower 4:15
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
7     What's Become of the Baby 8:30
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
8     Cosmic Charlie 5:45
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
- Bonus Material -   
9    Clementine Jam    10:51
10    Nobody's Spoonful Jam    10:10
11    The Eleven Jam    15:05
12    Cosmic Charlie (live)    6:48
Credits :
Bass, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia
Keyboards – Tom Constanten
Music By [The Tunes] – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
Musician [Supporting Musician] – David Nelson, Debbie, Marmaduke (John Dawson), Mouse, Peter Grant, Wendy
Percussion – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
Words By [The Words] – Robert Hunter
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann (faixas: 9 to 11), Bob Weir (faixas: 9 to 11), Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart (faixas: 9 to 11), Phil Lesh (faixas: 9 to 11), Robert Hunter (faixas: 1 to 8, 12), Ron McKernan (faixas: 9 to 11)

GRATEFUL DEAD - Workingman's Dead (1970-2003) RM / HDCD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As the '60s drew to a close, it was a heavy time for the quickly crumbling hippie movement that had reached its apex just a few years earlier in 1967’s Summer of Love. Death and violence were pervasive in the form of the Manson murders, fatalities at the Altamont concert, and the ongoing loss of young lives in Vietnam despite the best efforts of anti-war activists and peace-seeking protesters. Difficult times were also upon the Grateful Dead, unofficial house band of San Francisco’s Summer of Love festivities and outspoken advocates of psychedelic experimentation both musical and chemical. The excessive studio experimentation that resulted in their trippy but disorienting third album, Aoxomoxoa, had left the band in considerable debt to their record label, and their stress wasn't helped at all by a drug bust that had members of the band facing jail time. The rough road the Dead were traveling down seemed congruent with the hard changes faced by the youth counterculture that birthed them. Fourth studio album Workingman's Dead reflects both the looming darkness of its time, and the endless hope and openness to possibility that would become emblematic of the Dead as their legacy grew. For a group already established as exploratory free-form rockers of the highest acclaim, Workingman’s Dead's eight tunes threw off almost all improvisatory tendencies in favor of spare, thoughtful looks at folk, country, and American roots music with more subdued sounds than the band had managed up until then. The songs also focused more than ever before on singing and vocal harmonies, influenced in no small way by a growing friendship with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The band embraced complex vocal arrangements with campfire-suited folk on "Uncle John's Band" and the psychedelic cowboy blues of “High Time.”
Before they blasted off into hallucinatory rock as the Grateful Dead, several founding members had performed as Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions, a group that played traditional jug band music with earnest, heartfelt appreciation. Those early influences came into sharp focus on the bluegrass rhythms and hillbilly harmonies of "Cumberland Blues" and the glistening pedal steel and shuffling drums of "Dire Wolf." The more rocking songs add to the album's brooding feel with "New Speedway Boogie" directly addressing the violence at Altamont, and "Casey Jones," which appeared at first to be a lighthearted celebration of cocaine, but was really a lament for troubled times that felt like they were spinning off the rails.
The abrupt shift toward sublime acoustic sounds on Workingman's Dead completely changed what the Grateful Dead meant to their listeners at large. The enormous risk they took in changing their sound entirely resulted in a heartbreakingly beautiful, unquestionably pure statement and one of the more important documents of its time. They’d continue this trend on the even more roots-minded American Beauty, recorded later the same year, but the limitlessness, fearlessness, and true power of the band began here. by Fred Thomas
Tracklist :
1    Uncle John's Band 4:42
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
2    High Time 5:12
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
3    Dire Wolf 3:11
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
4    New Speedway Boogie 4:04
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
5    Cumberland Blues 3:14
Acoustic Guitar – David Nelson
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
6    Black Peter 5:41
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
7    Easy Wind 4:57
Written-By – Robert Hunter
8    Casey Jones 4:24
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
- Bonus Material - 43:49
9    New Speedway Boogie (Alternate Mix) 4:06
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
10    Dire Wolf (Live) 2:32
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
11    Black Peter (Live) 9:07
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
12    Easy Wind (Live) 8:10
Written-By – Robert Hunter
13    Cumberland Blues (Live) 4:52
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
14    Mason's Children (Live) 6:33
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh
15    Uncle John's Band (Live) 7:57
Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
Music By – Jerry Garcia
16    Workingman's Dead Radio Spot    0:31
Credits :
Bass, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Drums – Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir
Keyboards – Tom Constanten (faixas: 10 to 14)
Keyboards, Harmonica, Vocals – Pigpen

GRATEFUL DEAD - American Beauty (1970-2003) RM / HDCD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With 1970's Workingman's Dead, the Grateful Dead went through an overnight metamorphosis, turning abruptly from tripped-out free-form rock toward sublime acoustic folk and Americana. Taking notes on vocal harmonies from friends Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the Dead used the softer statements of their fourth studio album as a subtle but moving reflection on the turmoil, heaviness, and hope America's youth was facing as the idealistic '60s ended. American Beauty was recorded just a few months after its predecessor, both expanding and improving on the bluegrass, folk, and psychedelic country explorations of Workingman's Dead with some of the band's most brilliant compositions. The songs here have a noticeably more relaxed and joyous feel. Having dived headfirst into this new sound with the previous album, the bandmembers found the summit of their collaborative powers here, with lyricist Robert Hunter penning some of his most poetic work, Jerry Garcia focusing more on gliding pedal steel than his regular electric lead guitar work, and standout lead vocal performances coming from Bob Weir (on the anthem to hippie love "Sugar Magnolia"), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (on the husky blues of "Operator"), and Phil Lesh (on the near-perfect opening tune, "Box of Rain"). This album also marked the beginning of what would become a long musical friendship between Garcia and Dave Grisman, whose mandolin playing adds depth and flavor to tracks like the outlaw country-folk of "Friend of the Devil" and the gorgeously devotional "Ripple." American Beauty eventually spawned the band's highest charting single -- "Truckin'," the greasy blues-rock tribute to nomadic counterculture -- but it also contained some of their most spiritual and open-hearted sentiments ever, their newfound love of intricate vocal arrangements finding pristine expression on the lamenting "Brokedown Palace" and the heavenly nostalgia and gratitude of "Attics of My Life." While the Dead eventually amassed a following so devoted that following the band from city to city became the center of many people’s lives, the majority of the band's magic came in the boundless heights it reached in its live sets but rarely managed to capture in the studio setting. American Beauty is a categorical exception to this, offering a look at the Dead transcending even their own exploratory heights and making some of their most powerful music by examining their most gentle and restrained impulses. It’s easily the masterwork of their studio output, and a strong contender for the best music the band ever made, even including the countless hours of live shows captured on tape in the decades that followed. by Fred Thomas
Tracklist :
1    Box Of Rain 5:17
Written-By – Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
2    Friend Of The Devil 3:21
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, John Dawson, Robert Hunter
3    Sugar Magnolia 3:17
Written-By – Bob Weir, Robert Hunter
4    Operator 2:22
Written-By – Ron McKernan
5    Candyman 6:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
6    Ripple 4:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
7    Brokedown Palace 4:06
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
8    Till The Morning Comes 3:07
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
9    Attics Of My Life 5:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
10    Truckin' 5:03
Written-By – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
- Bonus Material -    
11    Truckin' (Single Version) 3:14
Written-By – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
12    Friend Of The Devil (Live) 4:21
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, John Dawson, Robert Hunter
13    Candyman (Live) 5:15
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
14    Till The Morning Comes (Live) 3:20
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
15    Attics Of My Life (Live) 6:28
Written-By – Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter
16    Truckin' (Live) 9:03
Written-By – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter
17    Ripple (Alternate Take)    3:01
18    American Beauty Radio Spot    1:10
Credits :
Band [The Dead], Bass, Guitar, Piano, Vocals – Phil Lesh
Band [The Dead], Drums – Bill Kreutzmann
Band [The Dead], Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Piano, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Band [The Dead], Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir
Band [The Dead], Harmonica, Vocals – Pig Pen (Ron McKernan)*
Band [The Dead], Percussion – Mickey Hart
Band [The Dead], Songwriter – Robert Hunter
Guest [With] – New Riders Of The Purple Sage
Guest [With], Bass – Dave Torbert (faixas: 1)
Guest [With], Electric Guitar – David Nelson (faixas: 1)
Guest [With], Mandolin – David Grisman (faixas: 2, 6)
Guest [With], Organ – Howard Wales (faixas: 5, 10)
Guest [With], Piano – Howard Wales (faixas: 7), Ned Lagin (faixas: 5)

GRATEFUL DEAD - Wake of the Flood (1973-2006) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After satisfying their nine-title/dozen-disc deal with Warner Brothers, the Dead began their own record labels: Grateful Dead Records (for group releases) and Round Records (for solo projects). Wake of the Flood was the first Dead disc issued entirely under the band's supervision -- which also included manufacturing and marketing. Additionally, the personnel had been altered as Ron "Pigpen" McKernan had passed away. The keyboard responsibilities were now in the capable hands of Keith Godchaux -- whose wife Donna Jean Godchaux also provided backing vocals. It had been nearly three years since American Beauty -- their previous and most successful studio album to date -- and, as always, the Dead had been honing the material in concert. A majority of the tracks had been incorporated into their live sets -- some for nearly six months -- prior to entering the recording studio. This gave the band a unique perspective on the material, much of which remained for the next 20-plus years as staples of their concert performances. However, the inspiration and magic of the Grateful Dead's music has always been a challenge to capture in the non-reciprocal confines of a studio. Therefore, while Wake of the Flood was certainly as good -- if not arguably better than -- most of their previous non-live efforts, it falls far short of the incendiary performances the band was giving during this era. There are a few tracks that do tap into some of the Dead's jazzier and exceedingly improvisational nature. "Eyes of the World" contains some brilliant ensemble playing -- although the time limitations inherent in the playback medium result in the track fading out just as the Dead start to really cook. Another highlight is Bob Weir's "Weather Report Suite," which foreshadows the epic proportions that the song would ultimately reach. In later years, the band dropped the opening instrumental "Prelude," as well as "Part One," choosing to pick it up for the extended "Let It Grow" section. The lilting Jerry Garcia ballad "Stella Blue" is another track that works well in this incarnation and remained in the Dead's rotating set list for the remainder of their touring careers. by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1     Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo 5:42
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
2     Let Me Sing Your Blues Away 3:15
Keith Godchaux / Robert Hunter
3     Row Jimmy 7:11
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
4     Stella Blue 6:26
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
5     Here Comes Sunshine 4:37
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     Eyes of the World 5:16
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
7     Weather Report Suite 12:43
Eric Anderson / John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
- Bonus Material -   
8    Eyes Of The World (Live)    17:02
9    Weather Report Suite (Studio Acoustic Demo)    12:36
10    China Doll (Studio Outtake) 4:02
Written-By – Garcia, Hunter
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone [Guest] – Martin Fierro
Bass – Phil Lesh
Drums – Bill Kreutzmann
Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir
Harmonica [Guest] – Matthew Kelly
Keyboards, Vocals – Keith Godchaux
Tenor Saxophone [Guest] – Frank Morin
Timbales [Guest] – Benny Velarde
Trombone [Guest] – Pat O'Hara
Trumpet [Guest] – Bill Atwood, Joe Ellis
Twelve-String Guitar [Guest] – Doug Sahm
Violin [Guest] – Vassar Clements
Vocals – Donna Godchaux
Vocals [Guest] – Sarah Fulcher

GRATEFUL DEAD - Blues for Allah (1975-2006) RM / HDCD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 

 The Grateful Dead went into a state of latent activity in the fall of 1974 that lasted until the spring of the following year when the band reconvened at guitarist/vocalist Bob Weir's Ace Studios to record Blues for Allah. The disc was likewise the third to be issued on their own Grateful Dead Records label. When the LP hit shelves in September of 1975, the Dead were still not back on the road -- although they had played a few gigs throughout San Francisco. Obviously, the time off had done the band worlds of good, as Blues for Allah -- more than any past or future studio album -- captures the Dead at their most natural and inspired. The opening combo of "Help on the Way," "Slipknot!," and "Franklin's Tower" is a multifaceted suite, owing as much to Miles Davis circa the E.S.P. album as to anything the Grateful Dead had been associated with. "Slipknot!" contains chord changes, progressions, and time signatures which become musical riddles for the band to solve -- which they do in the form of "Franklin's Tower." Another highly evolved piece is the rarely performed "King Solomon's Marbles," an instrumental that spotlights, among other things, Keith Godchaux's tastefully unrestrained Fender Rhodes finger work displaying more than just a tinge of Herbie Hancock inspiration. These more aggressive works contrast the delicate musical and lyrical haiku on "Crazy Fingers" containing some of lyricist Robert Hunter's finest and most beautifully arranged verbal images for the band. Weir's guitar solo in "Sage & Spirit" is based on one of his warm-up fingering exercises. Without a doubt, this is one of Weir's finest moments. The light acoustic melody is tinged with an equally beautiful arrangement. While there is definite merit in Blues for Allah's title suite, the subdued chant-like vocals and meandering melody seems incongruous when compared to the remainder of this thoroughly solid effort. by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1     Help on the Way/Slipknot! 7:20
Jerry Garcia / Keith Godchaux / Robert Hunter / Bill Kreutzmann / Phil Lesh
2     Franklin's Tower 4:32
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter / Bill Kreutzmann
3     King Solomon's Marbles 5:16
Jerry Garcia / Mickey Hart / Robert Hunter / Bill Kreutzmann / Phil Lesh
4     The Music Never Stopped 4:34
John Perry Barlow / Bob Weir
5     Crazy Fingers 6:42
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
6     Sage & Spirit 3:07
Bob Weir
7     Blues for Allah 12:33
Jerry Garcia / Donna Jean Godchaux / Keith Godchaux / Mickey Hart / Robert Hunter / Bill Kreutzmann / Phil Lesh / Bob Weir
- Bonus Material -    
8    Groove #1 (Instrumental Studio Outtake) 5:42
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh
9    Groove #2 (Instrumental Studio Outtake) 7:32
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh
10    Distorto (Instrumental Studio Outtake) 8:10
Written-By – Jerry Garcia
11    A To E Flat Jam (Instrumental Studio Outtake) 4:35
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh
12    Proto 18 Proper (Instrumental Studio Outtake) 4:16
Written-By – Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh
13    Hollywood Cantata (Studio Outtake) 4:14
Written-By – Bob Weir, Robert Hunter
Credits :
Bass – Phil Lesh
Drums, Percussion – Bill Kreutzmann
Keyboards, Vocals – Keith Godchaux
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Jerry Garcia
Percussion – Mickey Hart
Reeds, Flute – Steven Schuster    
Artwork By [Cover Paintings] – Philip Garris
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir
Vocals – Donna Godchaux